Adjustable wrench



1933- A. E. cARLBERG 4,023

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Filed Jan. 8, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Irurencovflugusi 6. Ca. rlberg By W 4.

Aug. 22, 1933- A. E. CARLBERG ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Filed Jan. 8, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 Wig? Inventor: T- 41 fluqusf 5. Carlberg Allorney Patented Aug. 22, 1933 oNiTEo STATES- PATE 1* OFFICE ADJUSTABLE WRENCH August E. Carlberg, Worcester, Mass. I Application January 8, 1932. Serial No. 585,542

' 3 Claims.- (01. s1 3) The present invention relates to adjustable wrenches or tool holdersand particularly to ad justable tool holders in which the angularity of the wrench head or tool head relative to the handle of the tool may be adjusted.

In prior devices'of this character inwhich the head was angularly adjustable, the adjustablefeature involved a complicated system of lever connections by which to procure the desired an- ",yilar adjustment, said adjustment being effective through a small angle by'rotation of a thumb screw or other suitable 'slow acting mechanism whichrendered the construction cumbersome in use and resulted in a complicated and expensive construction. The utility of a tool of this'char acterresides in its range of adjustability as well as its rapid and easy adjustment .to any desired position. Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a quick acting adjusting mechanism of simple construction, by

'means' of which to procure adjustment of the tool head relative to the handle of the tool. Ac-

cording to the present invention, the tool head is.

pivotally mounted on the handle and is supported in desired position by a connecting member which is movably 'connected to said head and which is slidable relative to thehandle, a locking means holding said. connecting member against vmovement on said handle in any, adjusted position.

A further feature of the invention resides inthe provision of a wrench which will permit turning movement of the tool head on one end without swinging movement of the handle so that a nut or bolt in an inaccessible place may be engaged by the tool head and turned While the handle remains substantially in one position. In accordance with this feature of theinvention, a tool head on one end of the handle is connected through links to a tool fhead mounted on the opposite end of said handle in such a manner that swinging movement of the-tool head on one end oithe handle will procure positive turning'i'novee ment of thetool head on the opposite end. I

The above andfurther objects and advantages of the invention willappear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:- 7

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tool embodying the 'invention,.showing the tool head inone extreme position. Fig. 2 is a rear viewof-the tool in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tool of Fig. 1, show ing the tool head in the other extreme position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified toolembodying the invention, the tool heads being" in one extreme position.-

Fig. 5 is a rear viewof'the tool of Fig. 4; Fig; 5 isa .plan view of the tool of Fig- 4,

showing the tool heads in the other extreme posi- Y tion.

7 head 5.

arms, a pinv 6, extending through the ends'of said arms, providinga pivotal support for said provide a recess '7 for engagement with a nut or the head of a bolt, has a slot 8 therein in which The wrench head 5 which is cut out to.

the outer end of a connecting member 9 is mounted, a pin 10 in the wrench head, forming a pivotal support for said'member 9, the slot'8 being arranged to permit. rocking. movement of the connecting member 9'relative to the head 5. Theend of the connecting member 9 remote from the pin 10 extends into the space'between the handle arms 3 and land is providedlwith a pin 11' which projects through alined longitudinal slots' 12 in the arm's 3 and l, wherebythe movement of the inner end of the connecting member 9 is limited to longitudinal movement along said handle1.

A pawl 13 whichis pivotally mounted on opposite ends of the pin 11 is provided with a-flat inner surface. 14 which is arranged to engage with any one of aset of ratchet teeth 15 formed in alined edges of the arms 3 and' l. The angu- 'larity of the surface 14 is such that when'the ratchet 13 is swung into engagement with any of the ratchet teeth 15, as shown in Fig. 1, or in Fig. 3, the wrench head 5 is held against turning movement. The head 5 is adjustable in any one of the several positions corresponding to the separate surfaces of the ratchet teeth 15 to vary the angularity of the head relative to the handle, thereby making it possible to engage a bolt'or nut at different angles. It will lie-apparent that the swingingmovements of the wrench head .5 are limited by'the length of .the slots 12, so that the head cannot be swung beyond desired limits; at

the same time theangular'positionof thewrench "head may be readily'variedbetween these limits byjswingingthe pawl'out of engagement withthe ratchet teeth and then rocking the wrench head relative to said handle. Y

. Referring now toFigs. 4, 5 and 6,1the invention 'may be incorporated in a double-ended wrench of the 's-wrench type. .In this constructionpthe handle 17 comprises spaced parallel arms 18 and 20 connected .at opposite ends'by pins 21 and 22, and wrenchfheads 23 and 24 are pivotally mounted on said pins 21 and 22.respectively, between said spaced arms. The'head 23, which is provided with a recess 25 for engagement with a nut or the like, has a slot 26, therein to receive the end of a" connecting member 27 which extends into said slot and is pivotally secured to the'head 23 by a pin 28. The opposite end of the connecting member 27 extends between the arms 18 and 20 and carries a pin 29 which xtends through alined slots 30 extending longitudinally of said arms 18 and 20 substantially midway between theends thereof.

The ends of said pin 29 provide pivotal supports.

for a pawl member 31 which functions, in cooperation with ratchet teeth 32 and 33 formed in alined edges of arms 18 and 20 on opposite sides .of pin 29, to hold the wrench head 23 in different positions in the same manner disclosed with refsaid slot by .a pin 37 mounted in said head. The

end'of the connecting member 36 remote from the pin 37 is pivotally mounted on the pin 29 in the end of the connecting member 27 so that the single pin 29, and the single pawl 31 in connec: tion with the ratchet teeth 32 33 operate to control the setting oi. both wrench heads 23 and 24.

The surface 38 of the pawl3l, in the full line position of said pawl in Fig. i, operates to hold the wrench head 23 against counterclockwise rotation on the pin 21 and the wrench head 2s against clockwise rotation on the pin 22 by enf gagement of the surface 38 with the surfaceof one of the teeth 32. V the pawl 31', is swung to the dotted line position, Fig. 4, the wrench head 23 is held against turning movement in the opposite or ,clockwisejdi rection, and the head 24 is held against turning counterclockwise. However, with the pawl in this dotted line position, the wrench head 24 may be rotated clockwise, the pawl sliding over the teethof the ratchet teeth 33, for engagement with theright hand surface of any of the teeth 33 to hold the head 24: against counterclockwise rotation inany one of the several, adjusted positions as determined by the surfaces of the ratchet teeth 33. Similarly, the wrench head 23, with the pawl in the dotted line position of Fig. 4, may beturned counterclockwis'e'to adjust said head to any one'of the several,difierent'positions.

ment with a nut or with the head of a bol, any

angular movement of the free head '24 will im 5 part to the engaged head 23 a correspondingly angular movement; therebyturning the nut'or bolt with which the head 23 is engaged, although the handle 17 has remained substantially stationary. By this construction, nuts or bolts which are inaccessible to the ordinary type of wrench may be reached and turned. J

In the modification of Fig. v, the handle 1a has the grip portion 2a mounted'on. one end In' the same manner when thereof and carried on the opposite end a short socket wrench head or tool head 49 pivotally connected to the handle la by a stud 6a. A connecting member 9a is' pivotally connected by i a stud 10a to the wrench head at) at one end;

the other end of said connecting member carrying a pin 11a which engages in a'slot 12a extending longitudinally of the handle 1a. A pawl 13a is pivotally 'mounted on the ends of the pin eral angular positions relative to the handle la by rotation of said wrench'head about the pin 6a, the pawl 13a holding said head in adjustedposition in the manner above set out with ref= erence to pawl'lS. It will be noted that the head 40 is adjustable through an angle of substanftially'90 and is held in adjusted position against movement in'either direction.

I From the foregoing, it will be apparent that; the present invention provides a tool having a work-engaging head mounted thereon which may be set in a number of different angular positions relative to the tool handle; The tool is also arranged topermit 'a work engaging head to be turned relative to said handle from a point ad'- *T jacent' the opposite end of the handle, without I claim:

iQIrz a tool construction, a handle=meinber, a

involving swinging movement of the handle.

tool'head pivotally mounted on said handle mem-"j...

her, a link member pivotallyniounted onsaid head and slidable longitudinally of said handle, a pawl pivotally mounted on one or" said'r'nemhers and cooperating ratchet means on of said members U0 prevent sliding movement said. link relative to said handle fselectively in either direction of movement, id pawl, when in position to hold said link against sliding movement in one direction, providing fcrjrfree mov ment of said, link inv the movement.

opposite direction of the other 7 2.111 a tool construction, a handle member, a

tool head pivoted to said handlefand arranged to support tools removably thereon, a 0011i member pivot-ally secured to saidtool he.

slidalole on said handle to vary the ang ilarity between, said tool head and said handle, a pawl pivotally'. mounted on one of said members and cooperating ratchet means on. the other of said members to support said connecting member" against movement relative to rsaid handle selec t'ively in either direction of 'moveinent in any position thereof. V

3. In a tool construction, a handle, tool heads pivotally mountedonsaid'handle at opposite ends thereof, connecting 'niember s p mounted onsaid'heads and connected t other, whereby said Zmembers having a v slidable connection with the handle at their point of connection, swingin'grmo'vement ofone'to'ol head will procure corresponding swinging movement of the other tool head without movementof, said handle, and means to preventinovorrent of said head'sselectively in either direct means providing for free movementoi in the opposite direction. i 7

AUGUST nosniin sao. V

CERTEEECA'EE on connection.

Patent No. 1,924,023. August 22, 1933.

AUGUST E. CARLBERG.

certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered oatent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 138, claim 3, strike out the Word "whereby" and insert the same before "swinging" in line 140; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the reeord of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of October, A. D. 1933.

it is hereby F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

